Maimonides Community

BH. WED Cheshvan

Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District Candle-Lighting: 4:07 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org Shabbos Ends: produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program 5:10 Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY

EREV THANKSGIVING

maimonidesschool@gmail.com

BELATED MAZAL TOV KUDANS

This is an early MC Newsletter edition this A week ago on Monday was the Bris of week, because of the extended weekend off for Sholom DovBer Dubroff, newborn son Thanksgiving. We wish all our readers a very of MHDS alumna Rivky (Kudan) & R’ happy Thanksgiving & an enjoyable weekend! Yossi Dubroff of Crown Heights. Mazal Tov to Bubbe & Zeide & all the Kudan family.

& CALIFORNIA KUDANS, TOO MHDS alumnus Rabbi Zalmy and Shterna Kudan had a baby boy in S. Barbara, CA. Reb Ruvain and Shayna Kudan are Bubbe and Zeide once again in the same month! Much Nachas!

MAZAL TOV RISHA COHEN MHDS alumna Rivky (Rubin) and Rabbi Mendel Cohen of Manchester England on the birth of a daughter this past Shabbos named Risha for her greatgrandmother Mrs. Piekarski who passed away 2 weeks ago. Mazal Tov to Morah Rochel & all the Rubin family.

MAZAL TOV MORAH LEYEE AND RABBI YOSSI IF NO TURKEY, THEN WHAT? And why! Ms. Ford’s first-graders were asked the question: What if they didn’t have turkey for Thanksgiving, what would be their next choice—and why? Their choices ranged from salmon and tilapia to kugel and chicken, and they each had to give three reasons for their choice, which were quite interesting.

Morah Leyee and Rabbi Yossi had a baby girl on Sunday, named Chana Tzivia for Morah Leyee’s sister who passed away. Rabbi Rubin and Morah Rochel are also BH grandparents once again one day apart! Much Nachas!

404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208

Kindergarteners learned about the three wondrous miracles that left Sarah’s tent when she passed away but returned when Yitzchak married Rivka: (1) Her candles burned all week (2) her blessed dough stayed fresh (3) the “Hashem-cloud” (not a rain-cloud!) hovered over her tent. From this week’s Parsha!

‫חיי שרה‬

This newsletter is dedicated in memory of Rivka Losice - Rivka bas Moshe Yartzeit: Cheshvan 21 Maimonides Middos was established in her memory SALT DOUGH CAMELS Nursery kids pictured here painting the salt -dough camels they shaped for Eliezer’s journey in this week’s Parsha to find a bride for Yitzchak.

THE VOTE IS IN! STUDENTS HAVE SPOKEN!

“Italian Dairy” won “Chinese Meat” by 14% of the vote! As with national elections, there’s disappointment and upset, but we will respect the vote. Interestingly, the demographics of the vote showed that most younger students went MAZAL TOV TEITELMANS On Bar-Mitzvah this Shabbos in Teaneck NJ of with dairy and most older students went with Yehudah, son of Howard & Meital Teitleman. meat. Rabbi Shmuel and Rivka Kochman will Very special Mazal Tov to grandmother Joyce! update us with the detailed Italian Dairy Chanukah menu, but rest assured that it will be delicious and special! And thanks to all REMEMBER AUCTION LINK: students for being part of this historic vote! www.maimonidesschool.org/auction

MAIMONIDES

SARAH (THEN RIVKA)’S TENT

‫ב”ה‬

22, 5777 / Nov 23, 2016

RAFFLE-AUCTION UPDATES •

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TWO MELODIES THAT ARE FOUR Rabbi Rubin invited R’ Yehoshua Sussman on Monday morning to play four melodies for some of the grades at school. Two Chassidic niggunim from the Rebbe Rashab (1860-1920, the 5th Rebbe of Chabad) whose birthday was that day (Chaf—20th of—Cheshvan) and two classic universally known Jewish songs by Benzion Shenker, a composer of hundreds of Jewish songs who passed away one day earlier this week at age 91. The 2 melodies of Rebbe Rashab are titled “Hachanah” (which means preparation) and “Rostover” (named for the city where he moved to during WWI and where he passed away). The 2 melodies of Benzion Shenker that he played was “Eishet Chayil” the tune nearly everyone sings on Friday night (its hard to even imagine what tune people used before Benzion Shenker composed this classic tune) and “Mizmor L’David” (R’ Yehoshua first thought was a Carlebach, but then realized how similar it musically to Eishet Chayil).

EAT MORE STEAMED BROCCOLI RABBI Actually, this has nothing at all to do with broccoli! Mrs. Maher’s 4th grade learned this (and other) helpful mnemonic devices to remember the steps for long-division: Estimate, Multiply, Subtract, Bring Down, Repeat.

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Raffle-Auction is now in the mail! Expect it in your mailbox soon… If you don’t get school mailing call the office: 518-453-9363.

It’s also available online. Tickets can be purchased online or via mail or at the event.

Some prizes have several numbered items within that package. Winner wins all of the parts of that prize package.

If you purchase any tickets by December 18 you get an Early-Bird-Special free $10 ticket.

There’s a Samsung Tab3 tablet for $5 ticket.

This year’s laptop prize is a Lenovo Flexversion which means the screen can flip 360 degrees to become a touch-screen tablet.

Shopping Spree gives winner $100 at each of these stores: Macy’s, Target, Kohl’s, and TJMaxx/Marshalls. Plus $180 at Amazon!

This year’s Game Galore Package includes Settlers of Catan, Splendor, Bananagrams, along with many other fun games.

The Morganite Earrings from Delmar Intl in Canada are very pretty, featuring pink/ peach stones set in tiny diamonds.

Lego Package totals 2200+ pieces!

KINDERGARTEN PUPPET SHOW Another pic of kids playing nicely together!

THE RUBIKS CUBE! An old puzzle toy is making a comeback at school. See next week’s High-5 all about it!

RAFFLE-AUCTION THANK YOUS

These people and families donated or solicited prize packages to this year’s Raffle-Auction, thanks for making this important annual ART school fundraiser possible: Vinitsky, Gurock, WITH Kudan, Volovik, Hecht, Itkin, Caras, Horan IRIT (even from Baltimore!), Dr. Y & CB Rubin, 5/6 grade Rubashkins, Kochmans, Ms. Ford, Bakers, girls are Z&C Simon, Kaufmanns, Chaikens, Mathless, working on Levins, Moishe Kudan, & Rubins of Shabbos drawing House, Clifton Park & Schenectady. faces in Mrs Irit Block’s “A” DECO THEMES art class.

HS Girls are now decorating their 3D “A’s” They with various themes ranging from floral and learned eclectic color to ocean and beach, and Afro. about facial proportions and to draw from different perspectives and angles.

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I. A.M. T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L.

Another Thanksgiving project by Ms. Ford’s 1st and 2nd grade students is this acrostic poem with a list of things they are thankful for, that spells: I AM THANKFUL!

AND A THANKSGIVING SONG Morah Dini taught her Kindergarteners a fun everyday Jewish Thanksgiving song written by Mrs. Posner (obm) of Nashville TN.

GEMORAH POWERPOINTS

ONTO INDIA!

Rabbi Shmuly’s 4th graders are now learning After completing Gemorah Shabbos about Chanukah. Pictured an extensive unit These Kindergarten students were playing so above Jacob working is on his Power-point— on Africa, HS nicely (this way during free play), allowing each this slide depicts the words “Tnan Hasam” Girls are now other to add pieces without criticism or which means “we learned in a different learning all bossing anyone around. They kept adding to Mishna” (hence his big arrow points from the about India in each other’s (work) without taking learning Rabbis to an old Sefer). They hope to Social Studies with Mrs. Ramsay and just had away! That made Morah Dini very learn a nice amount before Chanukah. a map test on India. Interesting stuff! proud, so she took this picture.

WHY MORAH TOOK THIS PIC...

I AM A GOOD STUDENT! (YES!!!)

FIRST OF THE YAHADUS TESTS

Morah Devorah’s first graders traced & colored this Hebrew sentence (in masculine & feminine), and very proud to be good students, indeed!

This Tuesday was the first of the national tests in the Yahadus curriculum. Grading has two tiers: a more accessible grade to participate in year-end NYC Shabbaton and a higher grade to participate on stage in the Chidon gameshow. Regardless of national test scores, it is wonderful learning material for our classes to get a broad view of Torah’s Mitzvot.

NURSERY MAPS This Nursery students is coloring in a map as they learn in this week’s Parsha about Eliezer’s camel travel to find a wife for Yitzchak. They did a whole unit on transportation, ancient and modern.

JELLY BELLY’S FOR CHUMASH What do Jelly-Belly jellybeans have to do with Avraham’s pleading with Hashem for Sodom?

He started off with a request to spare it if there would be 50 righteous there, just as a JellyBelly bag starts off with 50 flavors, and then goes down from there, as Avraham did!

SCIENCE CENTER PROJECT This is a major ambitious project to expand the MAIMONIDES S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) program with new, improved facilities, equipment and program. Please speak to Rabbi Rubin (518) 423-4103 if you’d like to get involved in this great effort to raise the funds necessary to receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds (up to $150K) from a respected national organization eager to get us new state-of-the-art hands-on science facilities. Help us make this project a reality for our students and the(ir) future!

GUESTS FROM ASHDOD, ISRAEL A group of travelers: Erez, Chagai, Chaim, Meir etc. called Rabbi Rubin that they are on the road but must have a Minyan and Kosher.

It was very important to them! They rushed to make it for a late Mincha and prayed with real Sephardic warmth. It was inspiring to see their enthusiastic and absolute dedication to Jewish observance. Turns out they are Israelis from a small Moshav near Ashdod called Givati, that numbers about 1,000 residents. They are close with the Chabad Rabbi Mizrachi in their Moshav and flew to America (some of them for the very first time) to join him at the Chabad Kinus Conference in Brooklyn but took some extra time to travel through upstate NY. Rabbi Rubin invited them to come speak to our students after they prayed the Shacharit services and their short Hebrew and English talk culminated in a quick lively dance with our students!

at Maimonides and in the Community 11/22: 22ND OF CHESHVAN

12/2-3: Y-STUDS @ CBAJ A CAPELLA

12/23: CBAJ MYSTERY GUEST

Today in Hebrew is ‫ כ”ב‬which can spell ‫—בך‬Morah Rochel says it teaches us: It depends on U!

A Cappella Shabbat returns to CBAJ with Y-Studs performing at Friday Night services and a sit-down dinner, again on Shabbat morning and SeudahShlishit and a musical Havdalah. Register by Nov 27th at CBAJ.org online.

A Mystery Guest Shabbat—guests and hosts sign up secretly via CBAJ (hosts must be Sabbath and Kosher observant as per CBAJ standards) and then the guest shows up at host door on Friday Night!

11/23-27: SCHOOL THANKSGIVING Thanksgiving Weekend Schedule for Maimonides: 11/23: Half-day Hebrew only on Wednesday 11/24-25: Thursday and Friday—No School

11/23: NO WEDNESDAY AGGADAH Rabbi Rubin’s Talmud Aggadah/stories class will be suspended this coming Wednesday for Thanksgiving Break, but will resume 2:30-3:30pm Wednesday Nov 30th. Men & Women welcome!

11/25-27: FREE ALBANY INSTITUTE

12/3: RENA BERNSTEIN: “BITTER FREEDOM” A SURVIVORS STORY An incredible story of Holocaust survival. Hear Rena tell it in person at a Maimonides Motzai Shabbos Café. Please purchase the book online ahead of time at: tinyurl.com/bitterfreedom for her to sign at the event after her talk. 7pm at Maimonides with soups and teas. For more info call Rabbi Shmuly: 496-0779 (Union College students very much appreciated the book & talk).

12/27-29: CHANUKAH @ MHDS Parents, please note (slightly changed) school schedule: 12/23: Friday, Half-day Hebrew only 12/26: Monday No School 12/27-29: Tues-Thurs, Half-day Hebrew only 12/30: Friday, No School 1/2/2017: Monday, school resumes at 8am

12/28: SCHOOL AUCTION NIGHT

Wed, 5-7pm on the 5th night of Chanukah. This exciting annual school fundraiser includes the celebrated themed Chanukah dinner by the Kochmans (Italian-dairy as determined by our 12/4: TRAIN EXTRAVAGANZA student election process) prize packages on display 10am-4pm at Empire State Convention Center.

11/26: SHABBOS CHAYEI SARA and last chance to buy tickets before drawings that $7pp, Kids 12 and under are free.

By Upstate Train This Shabbos we read Eliezer’s travels to find Rivka night. Menorah Lighting and some entertainment Associates and the Hudson-Berkshire Division of and we bless month of Kislev. Shteeble Minyan the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) as well. Tickets can also be purchased in advance help appreciated because people away at Kinus. via US Mail, the office, or the online link: www.maimonidesschool.org/auction 12/9-11: YIDDISH SCHOLAR @ B.I. Albany Institute for History & Art museum has free admission Fri thru Sun Thanksgiving Wknd.

11/27: MiSci SENSEABLE PROGRAM

Beth Israel in Schenectady is hosting a Yiddish scholar-in-residence for this weekend. Curt Leviant, PIZZA NIGHTS AHEAD: a novelist, scholar and translator, professor Pizza Nights planned: 11/19, 12/17, 1/28, 2/25 emeritus at Rutgers, will present at a Friday Night dinner, Saturday night event and a Sunday brunch, CHANUKAH EVENTS: on 100th yartzeit of Sholom Aleichem, 11/27: OH DEER! @ THE PINE BUSH speaking more info and updates as we get closer... the works of Israeli Shai Agnon etc. For costs and 12/25-26: Friendship Circle Camp, contact Chaya 1pm-2:30pm at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve on more info, contact Beth Israel 377-3700. if you’d like to be a part of this or assist in any way Route 155. $3pp/$5max per family. Learn indoors 12/26: Bethlehem Chabad Ice-Skating, Delmar Car about white-tailed deer and then go out on a mile 12/10: ISRAELI WOMENS THEATER -Menorah Parade & Chanukah Dinner back at the hike outdoors. Call ahead and pre-register.

Sat Night 7:30pm at Schenectady JCC, all women new Bethlehem Chabad at historic Adams House cast, based on Lorca’s play: “La casa de Bernando 12/27: East Greenbush Library Chanukah, and a 11/27: ANNUAL KINUS BANQUET Alba” no charge, donations welcome, for ages 14+. Clifton Park Center Chanukah event, stay tuned...

Once again the Chabad Shluchim Kinus will be Info? call Judy: 377-8803 or speak to Morah Rivi.

12/28: School Raffle-Auction & Chanukah Dinner live-streamed online for those who wish to watch, (with the voted-on menu!) 5-7pm at MHDS see Chabad.org or Chabad.TV on Sunday 12/29: Chanukah Bowling in Saratoga afternoon after Thanksgiving. Malcolm Hoenlein, 12/10: TEN KISLEV FARBRENGEN Melava Malka at the school. Niggunim, stories..

12/29: Menorah Car Parade around Albany leaves Exec VP of Conference of Presidents of Major school on Thursday at 3:30pm Jewish Organizations will give this year’s guest 12/31: Bethlehem Chabad at Delmar’s First Night address at the banquet. The keynote speaker will be 12/11: CARTOONIST AT J-FED Dov Smiley is a cartoonist with books on the Jewish Rabbi Dovid Hazdan from South Africa. holidays. He’ll be at the Jewish Federation starting VIA—AQUARIUM IS NOW OPEN with an interactive presentation for school-age 25,000sf of oceanic treasure, 2000+ fish & aquatic 12/1: ROSH CHODESH KISLEV children 1:30pm. There’s no charge to attend but species, including walk-thru tunnels and a sting-ray In Kislev this year, the Hebrew and Secular dates RSVPs are appreciated at JewishFedNY.org. See touch-tank. Weekday cost is $16 per adult, $10 for line up exactly all month: Dec 1st = 1st of Kislev! ages 4-17 and kids under 4 are free. Rabbi Mendel Rosh Chodesh 8am Thurs Minyan at Maimonides. www.JonahComic.com to see his work and style. did get a PJ Library small subsidy for PJ Library 12/23-26: JGR WINTER RETREAT families who wish to arrange for a small group trip, 12/2: EMPIRE “SKATE” PLAZA See www.JewishGirlsCamp.com or speak to let’s be in touch and arrange a time that works— The Empire State Plaza ice-skating rink plans to Nechama Laber for registration, cost or more info. possibly on Monday or Thursday of Chanukah? open on Friday December 2nd for the winter season. Free ice-skating, skate rentals for a small fee. This year held at the Holiday Inn in Latham.

10am-12pm on Sunday, free admission for guests with autism or sensory issues and their families.

Museum programs and planetarium show will be tailored to their needs during this time.

MAIMONIDES SCHOOL & COMMUNITY (Nursery / Elementary / High School) 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 maimonidesschool@gmail.com Founded in 1980, Maimonides is chartered by the NYS Board of Regents and is a JF-NENY Beneficiary “A Beautiful Blend: Torah & Worldly Experience!”